Historical Society Campaign Passes $1 Million

(12/26/2007)

Capital campaign Steering Committee Chair, James Kramer of Altura, announced today that a gift of $50,000 from Winona National Bank put the Winona County Historical Society's History Never Stops campaign over the $1 million mark after just four months of fundraising. In announcing the gift, Kramer said, "Obviously the people of Winona County and beyond feel this is an important project and an exciting opportunity for our county historical society." Jack Richter, president of Winona National Bank said, "As a part of the Winona community and its history, we feel passionately about preserving and telling our community's story. The Historical Society's planned expansion through the History Never Stops campaign will allow the society to tell Winona's history in a unique and effective way well into the future. We are proud to support the campaign with our gift."

The campaign was started thirteen months after the Laird Norton Co. offered a $1.5 million challenge grant to the Society for a building addition if the Society could acquire the land next to their museum. Winona County sold the land to the Port Authority and they to the Society on August 31, 2007. The Laird Norton Co., now headquartered in Seattle, Washington began as a sawmill operation in Winona in 1855. The family owned company sold their Lanoga Corporation, parent company of Pro-Build North (formerly UBC) in 2006. The Society recently announced that it had hired architect Joan Soranno of HGA in Minneapolis to design the new addition. The Society's Executive Director Mark Peterson said, "The $1 million milestone is important but we still have to raise another $500 thousand before June 30th to get the Laird Norton challenge grant. We are still in the pre-design phase and won't know the exact cost of the building until the design is finished." The project will add much needed programming, exhibit and collection storage space to the current facility.

For more information about the campaign contact Mark Peterson at 507.454.2723.